CLASSY Tasmanian stayer Banca Mo will press on to the $225,000 Hobart Cup despite missing an important lead-up run as the result of a barrier mishap.
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Seven Mile Beach trainer Scott Brunton has confirmed that all going well, Banca Mo will take his place in the 2400-metre race at Elwick on February 9 where he has been weighted on 56.5 kilograms.
Brunton said it wasn’t an ideal situation but he had tried to compensate by giving the gelding a 1600m track gallop and would trial him over 1400m on Tuesday.
Banca Mo missed the Summer Cup at Elwick last Sunday after he reared in the stalls just before the start and became cast.
He had a minor trickle of blood coming from his mouth and was a late scratching on veterinary advice.
As a result, the seven-year-old will be going into the Hobart Cup at only his fourth run after a lengthy spell.
However, he is still likely to be one of the favourites, even with a strong interstate challenge.
The Darren Weir-trained Akzar will be outright favourite provided he runs up to expectations in his final lead-up race at Flemington today.
Akzar yesterday was allocated equal topweight of 59 kilograms alongside local star Geegees Blackflash, who won the race in 2012.
Only five others were weighted above the 54kg minimum: Pelicano (58kg), Banca Mo (56.5kg), Escado (55kg), Cooldini (55kg) and Iggimacool (54.5kg).
Longford trainer Bill Ryan, like Brunton, is playing catch-up with Iggimacool.
Last season’s Tasmanian Oaks winner was going along nicely until a minor tendon injury caused her to miss some work leading up to the Summer Cup, where she performed well below her best.
Pelicano, trained by Tony McEvoy at Hawkesbury, was the 2013 Werribee Cup winner but has raced only three times since a long spell.
MARKET: 5.50 Akzar, Banca Mo, Pelicano; 6.00 Geegees Blackflash; 7.50 Tooleybuc Kid; 8.50 Genuine Lad; 11.00 Cooldini; 13.00 Crime Fighter, Garud, Magnapal, Oriental Lady; 15.00 Iggimacool; 17.00 Gold Medals, Lucky Lucky Lucky, Phantom Brew; 21.00-plus others.